The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) High-Level Conference on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was held from 30 July to 1 August 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference was hosted by the EASF Secretariat and brought together representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), the Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise-Africa), EASF Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs), policymakers, gender experts, international organisations, civil society and representatives from embassies of European Union member states based in Nairobi.
The conference fostered strategic dialogue, collaboration and commitment among these key stakeholders to advance the WPS agenda in Eastern Africa. Discussions centred on the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions, as well as WPS processes within the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). Participants assessed progress on WPS commitments by the AUC and EASF Member States, identified key challenges, and proposed strategies to promote inclusive security frameworks across the region.
ACCORD contributed to the conference by participating in a session that discussed the role of leadership in integrating gender perspectives into the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. The session specifically focused on the future of Peace Support Operations (PSOs) in relation to funding. ACCORD’s involvement in the conference aligns with its strategic objective to enhance the role of women in preventing, mitigating, and resolving complex conflicts.
Through the Training for Peace (TfP) Programme, ACCORD has significantly contributed to enhancing the civilian capacity of the AU and RECs/RMs to prepare for, plan, manage and monitor multi-dimensional PSOs across Africa. PSOs continue to be a vital instrument for promoting global peace and stability, with the UN, AU, and RECs/RMs adapting their approaches to evolving conflict dynamics by mainstreaming gender and implementing the WPS agenda.
